Swift was originally developed by Apple as a proprietary language and underwent a major transformation with the release of version 2.2 in December 2015. This release marks a key moment in Apple’s embrace of the open source model, making Swift’s source code publicly accessible under the Apache License 2.0. This milestone transforms Swift into a language not just for Apple platforms, but for the global developer community across various ecosystems.
The evolution of Swift
Swift’s journey to open source has brought significant changes to its syntax, especially in version 3.0. Since then, the Swift core team has prioritized source code stability, allowing developers to focus on building powerful applications without worrying about frequent breaking changes. Today, Swift is a language shaped by community-driven proposals and contributions, promoting innovation and versatility.
community driven language
Because of Swift’s open source nature, developers around the world can access its source code, including the compiler, standard library, core library, and Swift package manager, all hosted on GitHub. The development process is transparent, with a focus on community engagement through the Swift Evolution process. This allows contributors to:
- Submit a language enhancement proposal.
- Report and fix bugs.
- Contribute directly to the code base.
Cross-platform support
One of the most significant advantages of Swift being open source is its cross-platform support. Beyond Apple’s ecosystem, Swift also runs on Linux and is steadily gaining traction on platforms like Windows. This expansion unlocks the potential of Swift to excel in server-side development, machine learning, and more.
Benefits of Open Source Swift
- Community engagement: The global community actively contributes to improving Swift by proposing enhancements and fixing bugs.
- Portability: Swift runs seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Linux, Windows, and all Apple platforms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS).
- Transparency: Developers can delve into Swift’s implementation and understand its internals.
- Customization: The open source feature allows developers to modify Swift to meet specific project needs.
Resources on Swift.org
Swift.org is the heart of the open source Swift community.
It provides:
- Complete source code.
- Pre-built compiler and tool binaries for macOS and Linux platforms
- Documentation, teaching, and community guidance.
- A blog detailing the engineering work behind Swift.
- Bug reporting and tracking system.
- Mailing list for developer discussions.
The platform enables developers to collaborate, learn, and contribute to the growth of Swift.
Getting Started with Open Source Swift
Setting up Swift for development is very simple:
- Download the latest version of Xcode, which supports alternative toolchains for experimenting with open source Swift creation.
- Visit Swift.org for binary downloads, development tools, and comprehensive guides.
- Explore the Linux version of Swift, which includes a dedicated toolset including the Swift Package Manager, LLDB debugger, and REPL.
Expand your horizons with Swift
As an open source project, Swift continues to break barriers and enter new platforms and use cases. It is adopted by students and professionals, creating opportunities in various industries from application development to server-side programming.
By going open source, Swift has not only strengthened its foundation but created a thriving ecosystem where innovation never stops. Whether you’re building apps for Apple devices or exploring new platforms, Swift provides a powerful and flexible toolset to turn your ideas into reality.